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Smelly Porta Potti


Biggles

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It is advisable to use a good quality “blue” toilet fluid, such as Fenwick’s Blue Jon, for the bottom tank to break down the solids and mask the bad odour with a nice citrus smell. In addition you should always use a good quality “pink”, such as Fenwick’s Lily the Pink, for the top flush tank. Lily also contains slip agent to stop the build-up of “black bits” (algae), plus a lubricant to keep the toilet seals in best condition, without which they may very well dry out and leak. The web site www.toiletblue.co.uk explains this all very well.

The instructions for our PortaPotti (bought 2009) say never use Blue in the flushing tank. We don't and it doesn't smell. Is it something to do with what people eat?

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Is it something to do with what people eat?

we've had the misfortune of being moored up downwind of a pumpout machine over summer.

some of the wafts smelt like they'd come from the devil's own backside. so i think the

hypothesis that it is what people eat, holds some weight. my own poo smells of

roses, naturally.

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If you are using bio stuff then any contact with regular cleaning products will render it useless, I use odorloss and it took ages to get it right, lot's of tank flushing. I have just about got it right now. IMO blue is the grimmest smell in the world, sweet and sickly :sick:

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If you are using bio stuff then any contact with regular cleaning products will render it useless, I use odorloss and it took ages to get it right, lot's of tank flushing. I have just about got it right now. IMO blue is the grimmest smell in the world, sweet and sickly :sick:

 

I have heard tell that using brewers yeast only, in a brand new holding tank, works extremely well, with the added bonus that the boat smells like a brewery.

 

Would a small bit work in a new porta potti?

 

I say new, as yeast is immediately killed off by anything chemical. That's why John Smiths is so bloody awful.

 

And if you're going to quote Jesus, get it right. It was Lazarus, not Peter who was commanded to come forth. Peter was in denial.

 

Tone

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The instructions for our PortaPotti (bought 2009) say never use Blue in the flushing tank. We don't and it doesn't smell. Is it something to do with what people eat?

 

You should never use Blue in the flush tank as it eats the seals and does quite a bit of damage.

 

The problem with using a bio product after having had blue in is that the blue is such nasty toxic stuff that it takes ages for it to completely disappear. In the mean time the bio product is being destroyed by the blue as so won't work. After a while though the blue will be flushed out of the system and the bio product will be able to begin working.

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Unfortunately when the trap is open is when you're in proximity and it doesn't take odours long to escape.

 

It certainly used to put my guests off and I didn't like it much either.

 

 

 

According to whom? Any size box containing waste with a headspace on top will have to displace the same volume of putrid gasses as any extra waste put in. The escaping putrid gasses will take the path of least resistance, which in the case of most portapottis and direct dump through pump outs is straight back up through the open trap into your nose!

 

 

Which is why my dump through tank is fitted with two breathers plus an extractor fan in one breather. The fan is controlled by a pneumatic timer switch normally used for stairwell lights. If I can find a way of routing the cable I intend to connect the "load" output of the solar controller to the fan. As long as you remember to push the button the blow-back is not that bad. Only smells a bit in high summer after 2 weeks without a pump out.

 

Bit hard to fit an extractor fan to Porta Poti.

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Which is why my dump through tank is fitted with two breathers plus an extractor fan in one breather. The fan is controlled by a pneumatic timer switch normally used for stairwell lights. If I can find a way of routing the cable I intend to connect the "load" output of the solar controller to the fan. As long as you remember to push the button the blow-back is not that bad. Only smells a bit in high summer after 2 weeks without a pump out.

 

Bit hard to fit an extractor fan to Porta Poti.

Campervans have a similar solution but we find Bio Magic works. Can be ordered online and arrives quickly and no I have no connection to the firm just a satisfied customer.

Sue

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I have heard tell that using brewers yeast only, in a brand new holding tank, works extremely well, with the added bonus that the boat smells like a brewery.

 

Would a small bit work in a new porta potti?

 

I say new, as yeast is immediately killed off by anything chemical. That's why John Smiths is so bloody awful.

 

And if you're going to quote Jesus, get it right. It was Lazarus, not Peter who was commanded to come forth. Peter was in denial.

 

Tone

I'd better change that then, I'd hate to get the 'truth' wrong ;) I like the idea of home brew though!

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The instructions for our PortaPotti (bought 2009) say never use Blue in the flushing tank. We don't and it doesn't smell. Is it something to do with what people eat?

That's right, but you can get smelly pink stuff from lots of suppliers to put in the top tank.

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I have heard tell that using brewers yeast only, in a brand new holding tank, works extremely well, with the added bonus that the boat smells like a brewery.

 

Would a small bit work in a new porta potti?

 

 

We used it for a while in a cassette. It worked fairly well, and then seemed to get less effective. Personally, I think our problem was that the cassette got flushed out too much, so that the whole system was starting from scratch each time. By the time the yeast got established, it was time to empty the cassette again. I'd like to try it in a holding tank, but the ones I have access to have had blue in them, and so it would take a long time to get the system working.

 

Iain

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To all above commenting on my reply to this post. Comments noted. Very sorry if I have inadvertantly broken the rules and offended anyone. I want to join in topics which I know something about if I believe I can make a useful contribution. In future I will keep my comments to generalities and will only talk about specific products if specifically asked about these by another member.

 

Toilet Blue was developed to kill the bacteria in toilet waste and to break down solids in holding tanks, both larger holding tanks and the cassettes in Porta Potti's. The original agent used was formaldehyde, a seriously nasty product which does the job very effectivly, but if it gets into the water system or the environement in general it does a lot of damage. This product has been band in the UK, but surprisingly still appears now and again. New base products are now used, which while better than the original, still have to be strong to do their job. "Green" alternatives have been developed, however, as stated above by other members, take much longer to start working so are not really suitable for cassettes which are emptied on a regular basis, and which can be nutralised by any trace eliments left by previously used "blue" products. To use a green product, you must first clean out the tanks and the whole waste water system, with a cleaner you know will remove all trace elements of any previously used "blue" product. This is not easy, but in the long run is better for all of us.

 

Pink flush was developed for use in the Top (flush) Tank to keep the top tank and flushing system clean and free from algae. Good Pink fluid also contains a lubricating agent to stop the rubber seals from drying out/degenerating and leaking. If you just use tap water alone in the Top Tank, eventually you will see "black bits" appearing when you flush, this is algae breaking free and flushing out. This algae will also start to smell. Leaks may also follow.

 

I know it is still popular to use bleach in toilets, but adding more bleach to the water system, to the environment in general, is this really a good idea for the future ?

 

NB Alnwick. Your personal message has been noted. I have tried to respond directly to you but the system won't allow me to message you.

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An informative post SS. Thanks.

 

What do you think of the brewer's yeast idea?

 

Tone

 

brewer's yeast will work in the same way a septic tank works. It will break down the waste. However:

- it will not cover the smell

- it will take a while to start working, so is only suitable for a holding tank and not for a cassette which you will need to empty before it starts to work

- it can be killed very easily by trace elements from any "blue" product

 

I think the quick answer is yes it will work and yes it is green, but frankly in a confined environment such as a boat or caravan or motorhome it is not really effective enough and you will most likely have to put up with a certain level of smell.

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One problem with Blue is the colour, the other problem is the smell, which is why we use colourless, odourless Bio Magic. And it works.

Sue

 

It is interesting you say one of the reasons you don't like it is the colour. Blue goes directly into the cassette or holding tank, so you only actually see it when you are putting it into the tank, during operation of the toilet you don't see it at all.

 

Producers have tried using alternative colours, but these have not generally been accepted by buyers, who, with very few exceptions such as yourself, demand the colour be blue. Traitionally it was/has always been blue and as we all know people don't like change. In fact the colour has no effect at all on the performance of the product, it is mearly a dye, which as anyone who has spilt any on a carpet will know is very difficult to remove. The other reason for blue and pink is so they are not mixed up in use.

 

Re the smell. Again this is an artificial additive. Many have a sickly "bubble gum" smell, but some do maintain a nice fresh citrus note which is useful for covering more natural toilet odour.

 

Frankly, as it works for you, you have the best option, colourless and odourless, which cuts down on the artificial additives.

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There is a new product out, I say new, probably been around for the last eighteen months.Product name is one chem, they produce two types. One chem cassette, which charges both holding tank and flush tank on the cassette or porta potti, and one chem tank for pumpout holding tanks.

The product is formaldehyde free and was produced by a mobile toilet company because of complaints from employees constantly having headaches. The product was tested during its development in porta-loos on building sites.

It is sold at our marina and the feed back has been very positive, I think its the cassette one that smells of almonds. Give it a try.

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There is a new product out, I say new, probably been around for the last eighteen months.Product name is one chem, they produce two types. One chem cassette, which charges both holding tank and flush tank on the cassette or porta potti, and one chem tank for pumpout holding tanks.

The product is formaldehyde free and was produced by a mobile toilet company because of complaints from employees constantly having headaches. The product was tested during its development in porta-loos on building sites.

It is sold at our marina and the feed back has been very positive, I think its the cassette one that smells of almonds. Give it a try.

My link

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